Embrace The Sports Betting This Thanksgiving Weekend

In 2018, Pennsylvania sports bettors celebrated both the launch of retail sports betting and Thanksgiving in the same week.

This year, bettors can enjoy their first Thanksgiving feast where they can bet on their phones.

Whether you’re visiting relatives or hosting a hearty feast in at home, there is bound to be a football on at least one TV this coming Thanksgiving. Here’s the Turkey Day lineup of NFL games:

12:30 p.m. ET: Chicago Bears vs. Detroit Lions

4:30 p.m. ET: Buffalo Bills vs. Dallas Cowboys

8:30 p.m. ET: New Orleans Saints vs. Atlanta Falcons

With football in action and betting an option, let’s take a look at how to embrace the sports betting when it comes to Thanksgiving this year.

How to have a sports betting-friendly Thanksgiving

After the “how was your drive in, how are the kids, how can I help” small talk, there is the uh-oh emptiness. How can conversation steer clear of topics like politics, religion, and medical ailments?

Since neither the Pittsburgh Steelers or the Philadelphia Eagles are playing this Thanksgiving, it can be a time to share your frustrations with fellow fans of the state’s home teams. The expectations for both the Steelers and Eagles have fallen way short. Uncle Rob isn’t wearing his Roethlisberger jersey this Thanksgiving? Did he place a futures bet on the Steelers?

Family drama getting tense in the adults-only fan cave? Share a bad beat story one of your NFL sports bets this season to ease the tension. With neither of the PA teams in action, make some friendly bets and $5 wagers on your betting apps about Thursday’s games.

A new Thanksgiving tradition

There’s been a shift from “gifts” to “experiences.” Instead of starting the holiday season poring over ads or clicking “add to cart,” share the excitement of watching a game together.

Here’s one way to make sports betting with 21+ family members a part of your Thanksgiving traditions:

Have the bettors start with a bank. Say $50 to place bets during the Thanksgiving games. You have to make a minimum of three bets. It could be player props, over/unders, a spread bet, etc. Whoever ends the day with the most in the bank wins.

Then there are a buffet of possible family-friendly prop bets:

Whoever picks the most winners gets to pick first at holiday gift swap/auction.

Bottle of wine to the winner.

Winner gets first pick in the family fantasy draft the following year.

Losers do the dishes.

Losers take the kids to see Frozen II

Start Black Friday early with some sports betting app offers

Most every PA sportsbook is serving up multiple promotions around the slate of games. Black Friday may be the day after Thanksgiving, but for bettors, there are plenty of holiday deals to use to their advantage.

DraftKings

Sports bettors in PA and NJ have the chance to gobble up DraftKings’ risk-free Thanksgiving parlay in addition to new customer bonuses, which include five free $5 bets and a 20% deposit match bonus up to $500.

Here are the details:

To participate, a new user must bet on each of the three football games on Thanksgiving Day and combine them into a single parlay.

If the parlay hits, the user is paid out as normal. But if the parlay busts, the user gets a free bet matching their initial stake (up to $100.)

Each user should be credited by 5 p.m. on Dec. 4 at the latest.

In addition, DraftKings has a whole range of freebies for new and existing sports betting customers. They have even arranged them in Menu-esque order.

DraftKings Thanksgiving giveback free bet
$5 Free Bet to all our sportsbook customers to use on Thanksgiving to use on the sporting event of their choice Thanksgiving day., Nov. 28. For use on sports events: 11/28. All users must place their bet by the end of the day on Thanksgiving

Appetizer: Flash bet
Who wants to get hangry waiting for the main course? Nope, not me either. Bet in-game on result of drive or next team to Score with a $5 NFL Flash Bet risk-free for any Thanksgiving game.

Only NFL games on Nov. 28 are eligible, which includes all three Thanksgiving Day games.

Main Course: Extra leg parlay
DraftKings is giving everyone an extra serving on their NFL parlay. Place a parlay on three NFL games and DraftKings will pay out as if you hit an additional fourth leg.

This promotion is available on all Week 13 NFL games, however, bets must be placed on Nov. 28.

Desert? Dessert? D-ssert!
Bet at least $25 on the total points for one of the NFL Thanksgiving games and get $5 for every turnover and $1 for every sack in that game.

FanDuel

If you’d rather wait to bet on college football or a different sport besides the NFL, FanDuel is giving a special Thanksgiving bonus to new users with more flexibility than the other promos.

Sign up and get $20 in free bet credits. No deposit required.

Enter the promo code: TURKEY

Promotion runs from Nov. 25 – Dec. 2

The offer can be used in addition to the $500 risk-free bet.

FanDuel will issue the bonus within 72 hours. Customer credit expires seven days after receipt.